Crown Sydney and The Star fined millions for letting teenager gamble

A fake-ID wielding teenager has landed two Sydney casinos in hot water after they failed to prevent his antics.

Carrying a fraudulent driver’s licence, the 16-year-old boy was able to access Crown Sydney on 19 occasions and consume free alcohol in the process.

The venue allowed the boy – who on some occasions was accompanied by his mother – to gamble and attain silver membership status.

He was also able to pay three undetected visits to fellow casino The Star Sydney.

Following an investigation by Liquor and Gaming NSW, both venues have been slapped with huge fines for failing to detect the teen between April and August 2025.

The case was referred to the NSW independent Casino Commission (NICC), which has handed down severe sanctions to both casinos.

Crown Sydney, where the lion’s share of the teen’s activity took place, has been ordered to pay a $1.75m.

Meanwhile, The Star Sydney is also facing a hefty payout, having been fined $500,000 for its failure to detect the boy.

NICC Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford said both venues had ramped up security measures in response to the debacle, including additional training and enhanced identity verification processes.

“The NICC acknowledges that both casinos have accepted responsibility for the significant failures in their identity verification and customer onboarding processes which have allowed this minor to enter their venues repeatedly and over a significant period of time,” he said.

“However, this does not diminish the seriousness of allowing a 16-year-old to enter casino gaming areas and gamble away a significant amount of money.

“In the case of Crown Sydney, this also included the illegal service and consumption of complimentary alcohol.”

Following the investigation, Liquor and Gaming NSW has also banned the teen from attending either casino for five years, with the period starting on his 18th birthday.

“The breakdown in safeguards that allowed a vulnerable young person to repeatedly access gaming areas and suffer actual harm is unacceptable,” Liquor and Gaming NSW executive director Dimitri Argeres said.